A teenage boy has pleaded guilty to murdering a "kind and caring" schoolgirl by stabbing her to death in her home.

Ellie Gould was discovered dead in Calne in May - with 17-year-old killer Thomas Griffiths arrested later that day, The Sun reports.

He pleaded guilty to murdering the schoolgirl at Bristol Crown Court in the UK and can now be identified after a judge lifted reporting restrictions.

The teenager, who was due to stand trial in October, will be sentenced at a later date.

It has since been revealed the gruesome murder was not random and the 17-year-old knew her killer.

Emergency crews were scrambled to the family home on the afternoon of May 3 where they discovered the teenager dead with stab wounds.

Her heartbroken family previously described the keen horse rider and talented showjumper as "fun-loving and a joy to be around".

They added: "We would like Ellie to be remembered as a kind, caring young lady with a wonderful, fun personality."

FUTURE DREAMS THWARTED

Gould had reportedly been in her final year of high school, and her dad was teaching her how to drive when she was cruelly killed.

The schoolgirl also had dreams of becoming a police officer and was looking forward to attending university.

Gould's teacher, Lisa Percy, said: "The whole community at Hardenhuish was completely devastated by the death of Gould back in May.

"Ellie was an extremely popular student in our sixth form.

"She was popular, friendly and very talented, and understandably her death has hugely impacted on our school.

"Her close knit group of friends have shown strength beyond their young years in the months that have followed Ellie's death, and have supported one another extraordinarily well.

We continue to support our students with the help of partner agencies who have been invaluable to our school during such an unprecedented time.

"Our thoughts continue to remain with Ellie's family at this time."

Detective Chief Insp Jim Taylor, from Wiltshire Police, also paid tribute to the tragic teenager after Griffiths admitted killing her.

He said: "Ellie was in her first year of sixth form and was looking forward to the next steps in her education.

"Her parents have told me that she was considering a career in the police and had been looking into attending university.

"The options available to Ellie were endless but her hopes and dreams will now sadly never be realised."

This story first appeared in The Sun and has been republished here with permission.